Inhibition of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by the novel peptide EZY-1 purified from Eucheuma

Food Funct. 2019 Jun 19;10(6):3198-3208. doi: 10.1039/c9fo00308h.

Abstract

For the first time, a new 16-amino-acid peptide was isolated from Eucheuma, an edible seaweed, and named EZY-1. EZY-1 was used to interfere with bleomycin-induced mice pulmonary fibrosis. The target proteins of EZY-1 were screened by an in vitro pull-down method combined with LC-MS/MS. The results showed that EZY-1 can inhibit the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) induced by bleomycin. The potency and safety of EZY-1 are superior to those of the drug used for clinical treatment, pirfenidone. The results showed that EZY-1 suppresses the TGF-β/Smad, PI3K-Akt-mTOR, Rac1-PAK2-cAb1 and MAPK signal transduction pathways. Proteins such as ERK, Akt, PDGF receptor β, vitronectin, raptor and SHP2 exhibited binding to EZY-1 in an in vitro pull-down assay combined with LC-MS/MS analysis. EZY-1 was confirmed to be an effective component of Eucheuma in the inhibition of IPF. The signalling pathways and target proteins of EZY-1 were preliminarily predicted. This study lays the foundation for the development of new drugs from Eucheuma for the treatment of IPF.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bleomycin / adverse effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / chemically induced
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Peptides / administration & dosage*
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Rhodophyta / chemistry*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Smad Proteins / metabolism
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta / metabolism

Substances

  • Peptides
  • Smad Proteins
  • Transforming Growth Factor beta
  • Bleomycin
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases